The Irish government has expressed satisfaction with the implementation of the Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) project in Zambia, a social protection program aimed at enhancing sustainable livelihoods and promoting human capital among the poor and vulnerable in society.
The Irish Minister of State, Mr. Neale Richmond, T.D. from the Republic of Ireland said this during his interaction with beneficiaries of the Supporting Women Livelihood and Social Cash Transfer programmes, in Chongwe District.
The Minister expressed satisfaction and gratitude to see the positive impact of the project on the lives of the beneficiaries of both Social cash Transfers and supporting Women Livelihood who have used the social safety nets and the empowerment funds to improve their livelihood and embark on small businesses.
Mr. Richmond, further reiterated the Irish government’s commitment to continue with the co-financing of social protection programmes with the Zambian Government, in a bid to alleviate poverty and vulnerability.
He further commended the strong relationship between the two countries which he says emanates from the 1960s with early Irish Missionaries who were involved in various charity works.
And the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, Ms. Angela Kawandami who accompanied the Irish Minister, commended the Irish Government for the continued partnership with the Zambian government and applauded the support from the Irish people towards social protection programming in Zambia.
And beneficiaries appreciated the government and its co-operating partners for the GEWEL project which has not only transformed their lives but provided them with sustainable means of escaping from poverty through the productive grants and entrepreneurship training which they received to enable them to grow their businesses.
The Irish Minister of State, who was accompanied by senior officials from both the Irish Embassy and the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, held close interaction with beneficiaries to hear their personal stories and gain a deeper understanding of the GEWEL project and its impact on local communities
The GEWEL project is a “cash plus” initiative jointly supported by the World Bank, other cooperating partners, and the Zambian Government. It focuses on enhancing human capital development and productivity among marginalized girls and women, while also strengthening adaptive social protection systems through several integrated components. These include foundational social assistance through regular and timely Social Cash Transfers, and the Supporting Women’s Livelihoods (SWL) programme, which provides productive grants, business training, mentorship, and support for savings groups to empower vulnerable women economically.
The project also includes the Keeping Girls in School (KGS) and beyond component, which helps disadvantaged adolescent girls in upper primary and secondary school, as well as a Nutrition intervention aimed at improving national nutrition outcomes. In addition, GEWEL includes Institutional Strengthening and Systems Building (ISSB) to enhance government capacity in managing and delivering social protection programs effectively.
